Main Ingredients:

Ingredients

Almonds – 8-10, soaked in hot water for 30 mts, peel skin and grind to a paste

Mango puree – 1 cup

Green cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Pistachios – fistful, finely chopped

Saffron – 8-9 strands (optional) soak in 2 tbsps of milk

Method

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Simmer till it reduces to 3/4 th of its original quantity.

While the milk is simmering, drain the soaked basmati rice and grind to a fine paste by adding 1/2 cup of the boiled milk. Remove to a vessel and set aside.

After the milk has reduced to 3/4th of its original quantity, slowly add the ground rice mixture and keep on stirring till it blends well into the milk and it starts to thicken.

Keep on stirring so that the bottom does not burn. The stirring could take anytime between 12-15 mts. Add almond paste, cardamom powder and sugar and continue to stir till the sugar dissolves and it forms a nice creamy mixture with no lumps. Turn off flame and allow to come to room temperature.

Add the mango puree to the phirni mixture and mix well. Remove to a serving bowl and chill until serving time.

At the time of serving, ladle the phirni into serving bowls, garnish with chopped pistachios.

Tips

Adjust sugar according to the sweetness of mangoes.

If using saffron, add it to the milk mixture at the time of adding cardamom powder.

If your phirni has turned too thick, you can loosen it have adding a few tbsps of boiled milk.